GREENE King toasted record festive food sales after taking nearly £2 million on Christmas Day meals.

The company, which operates 2,400 pubs, restaurants and hotels, sold 365,000 Christmas meals in December – its highest ever number – after many outlets put on special menus for the festive period.

Its sites, which include the Hungry Horse, Old English Inns and Loch Fyne Restaurant brands, took £1.7 million in food sales on Christmas Day as more people ate out on the big day, which was also a record. The figure was boosted after it opened 800 pubs on Christmas Day.